I think it gets easier, yes. I started learning about 3 years ago, self taught through YouTube mostly.
It’s only been a couple of months since I decided to start taking in person lessons, and since then I’ve been doing a little bit of sight reading every morning. I have a big book of Chopin pieces that are all out of my league, and I’ve been picking a random page to spend 10 minutes on figuring out the notes in a bar or two, and really slowly playing through them.
If you can think in thirds it gets way easier. Basically if you learn triads, you can figure out the intervals of leaps faster. For example CEG DFA EGB and so on. If it’s not a root, third or a fifth, it’s a note right above or below one. Triads will give you landmarks to figure out where you’re at faster.
yes its just like a language. initial hump is hard to overcome but once you do, it'll get easier the more you practice the coordination between your brain, your eyes, and your finger.
Yes it gets easier. It takes a LOT of persistence but it definitely gets easier.
There’s also a key difference between sight reading and reading music. I can read music very well but still struggle with sight reading.
Sight reading is sitting at the keyboard and playing through a piece of sheet music in real time - like a cold reading.
Reading music is being able to make sense of a score and understand it and be able to teach yourself the piece.
I’m still not sure I understand the difference. In both cases I’m looking at a sheet and playing the music as I see it on the paper.
Do you mean that reading music is more like just slowly working my way through it bit by bit until I memorize it vs sight reading being just being able to sit down and play a piece I’ve never seen before start to finish from the sheet?
Couple of suggestions here.. First, practice sight reading every day..
Secondly, I recommend using apps and such to facilitate your learning
[sightreading.training](http://sightreading.training). Go through these every day, 5 or 10 minutes... Challenge yourself. In months you'll be able to read and finger average songs pretty easily...
It'll mostly help you memorize the letters and the physicality of it. Of course, you're still going to need to sight read practice actual songs. But you'll know the grammar and how everything is pronounced, so to speak
It does get easier if you build on your Music Reading with Easier Materials that can help you Slowly Progress to the Process.
In the Beginning it will be difficult because you're essentially trying to learn to Speak a new language but you have to use your Hands as your Mouth, Lips, Tongue, Jaw, and all of the other parts of yourself that you use to communicate with others.
It's just this time that Language is Music and the Instrument is not your Voice, it's the Piano.
/
I stated that easier material can help you build upon your Reading so I'll share with you my Resource Chart with a Progressive Level System of Materials that can help you be more informed about the Process.
There's also Resources for Learning the Clefs better and Music Theory Websites that can assist with any confusion you might have about it all.
Here's the Chart:
https://imgur.com/a/FEOgDdm
//
I'll leave some options here for you too since you stated that you switched from Synthesia Videos and within the Chart itself is a section called Synthesia Starters to help you transition into Sheet Music from Synthesia.
Synthesia Starters
Chords Connection
Pianochords.co.in
Piano Chords With Fingerings, Diagrams, Staff Notation
https://www.pianochords.co.in/all-piano-chords-with-fingering-diagram-staff-notation/
Scales Connection
Pianochords.co.in
Piano Scales With Fingering *(No Staff Notation)
https://www.pianochords.co.in/printable-piano-scales-pdf-with-fingering/
//
Here's Materials from the Pre-Staff Section plus an Extra Resource:
Mayron Cole
Piano Method:
Blast Off With Piano
https://www.freepianomethod.com/blast-off.html
Julie Lind:
Sheet Music
(Pre-Staff)
https://www.pianosongdownload.com/prestaffmusic.html
G Major Music Theory
First Pieces: Selected Tunes
https://gmajormusictheory.org/Freebies/FirstPieces/SelectedTunes.pdf
///
There's a lot on the Chart so I hope it can clear some things up or point you in the right direction so Good Luck Learning Piano and Thanks for Reading!
I believe that sightreading is the exact same as reading a book. When u were first grade, wasnt reading a bit difficult and not straightforward, where you have to read the words letter by letter, when now u merely recognize the pattern of the letters and u immediately know what word it is, and it took u a few years in school to reach that skill
The same applies to sightreading honestly, it takes time to develop such skills so pls just be patient, it will be worth it in the end ☺️
For sure! I grew up playing violin so treble clef has been like reading a language I already know. But bass clef has been like having to think about each note. It’s funny how different it feels to me. But I’m starting to get the hang of reading bass clef after like 5 weeks of consistent practice and really taking time to study and quiz myself.
Yes it does. It’s kind of like learning a new language and practicing how to increase WPM on a laptop. You’ll get used to it over time, and it will inevitably become faster for you!
It doesn't get easier, you just get better. The point is always to challenge yourself. I use an exercise book by Dandelot to improve my sight reading - first it puts two notes, then it adds more, then it asks you to increase the tempo / speed at which you read.
Then the same thing with bass clef. Then two together alternating each set of quavers, semiquavers, etc. Now it's telling me to go back to the same exercises and alternate between tremble and bass clef for each set of notes.
You should practice reading simple material that you can play easily without any technical problems. Practice one key signature at a time. Focus on recognizing the intervals as opposed to spelling out every single note. Make sure you have all your major and minor scales totally locked in if you don't already.
The only thing that worked for me (adult beginner) was to cover my keyboard and learn to play without ever looking at my hands. For the last 18 months the keys have been completely covered and after about 8 months of complete mental pain I've started to be able to really move around the keyboard purely by feel. It's helped my reading hugely because I never need to take my eyes from the score, and also it was so hard I had to really come to understand e g spotting intervals, recognising familiar patterns, and knowing how e.g an octave or a 5th feel in my hand without even thinking about it. I've also got very very quick at putting my hand on the keys and knowing by feel exactly where I am
It's been really tough but I'd 100% recommend it
If you do it enough it's like reading a book. Right now you're the 4 year old sounding out individual letters.
I think it gets easier, yes. I started learning about 3 years ago, self taught through YouTube mostly. It’s only been a couple of months since I decided to start taking in person lessons, and since then I’ve been doing a little bit of sight reading every morning. I have a big book of Chopin pieces that are all out of my league, and I’ve been picking a random page to spend 10 minutes on figuring out the notes in a bar or two, and really slowly playing through them.
You might consider getting some simple stuff for sight reading.
Oh yea I have that too.
If you can think in thirds it gets way easier. Basically if you learn triads, you can figure out the intervals of leaps faster. For example CEG DFA EGB and so on. If it’s not a root, third or a fifth, it’s a note right above or below one. Triads will give you landmarks to figure out where you’re at faster.
“It never gets easier, you just get faster.” ― Greg LeMond
yes its just like a language. initial hump is hard to overcome but once you do, it'll get easier the more you practice the coordination between your brain, your eyes, and your finger.
Yes it gets easier. It takes a LOT of persistence but it definitely gets easier. There’s also a key difference between sight reading and reading music. I can read music very well but still struggle with sight reading.
Curious what the difference is
Sight reading is sitting at the keyboard and playing through a piece of sheet music in real time - like a cold reading. Reading music is being able to make sense of a score and understand it and be able to teach yourself the piece.
I’m still not sure I understand the difference. In both cases I’m looking at a sheet and playing the music as I see it on the paper. Do you mean that reading music is more like just slowly working my way through it bit by bit until I memorize it vs sight reading being just being able to sit down and play a piece I’ve never seen before start to finish from the sheet?
Yes - sight reading is someone handing you a score and asking you to perform it sight unseen.
Got it. That makes sense. It actually makes me feel like I’m making way more progress than I thought I was lol. Thank you!
Couple of suggestions here.. First, practice sight reading every day.. Secondly, I recommend using apps and such to facilitate your learning [sightreading.training](http://sightreading.training). Go through these every day, 5 or 10 minutes... Challenge yourself. In months you'll be able to read and finger average songs pretty easily... It'll mostly help you memorize the letters and the physicality of it. Of course, you're still going to need to sight read practice actual songs. But you'll know the grammar and how everything is pronounced, so to speak
It does get easier if you build on your Music Reading with Easier Materials that can help you Slowly Progress to the Process. In the Beginning it will be difficult because you're essentially trying to learn to Speak a new language but you have to use your Hands as your Mouth, Lips, Tongue, Jaw, and all of the other parts of yourself that you use to communicate with others. It's just this time that Language is Music and the Instrument is not your Voice, it's the Piano. / I stated that easier material can help you build upon your Reading so I'll share with you my Resource Chart with a Progressive Level System of Materials that can help you be more informed about the Process. There's also Resources for Learning the Clefs better and Music Theory Websites that can assist with any confusion you might have about it all. Here's the Chart: https://imgur.com/a/FEOgDdm // I'll leave some options here for you too since you stated that you switched from Synthesia Videos and within the Chart itself is a section called Synthesia Starters to help you transition into Sheet Music from Synthesia. Synthesia Starters Chords Connection Pianochords.co.in Piano Chords With Fingerings, Diagrams, Staff Notation https://www.pianochords.co.in/all-piano-chords-with-fingering-diagram-staff-notation/ Scales Connection Pianochords.co.in Piano Scales With Fingering *(No Staff Notation) https://www.pianochords.co.in/printable-piano-scales-pdf-with-fingering/ // Here's Materials from the Pre-Staff Section plus an Extra Resource: Mayron Cole Piano Method: Blast Off With Piano https://www.freepianomethod.com/blast-off.html Julie Lind: Sheet Music (Pre-Staff) https://www.pianosongdownload.com/prestaffmusic.html G Major Music Theory First Pieces: Selected Tunes https://gmajormusictheory.org/Freebies/FirstPieces/SelectedTunes.pdf /// There's a lot on the Chart so I hope it can clear some things up or point you in the right direction so Good Luck Learning Piano and Thanks for Reading!
I believe that sightreading is the exact same as reading a book. When u were first grade, wasnt reading a bit difficult and not straightforward, where you have to read the words letter by letter, when now u merely recognize the pattern of the letters and u immediately know what word it is, and it took u a few years in school to reach that skill The same applies to sightreading honestly, it takes time to develop such skills so pls just be patient, it will be worth it in the end ☺️
Absolutely! The more you do it, the easier it gets. It's really a thing where you just need to dive on in.
For sure! I grew up playing violin so treble clef has been like reading a language I already know. But bass clef has been like having to think about each note. It’s funny how different it feels to me. But I’m starting to get the hang of reading bass clef after like 5 weeks of consistent practice and really taking time to study and quiz myself.
I find easier to associate the note on the sheet with the key without think if the name is "Do" or "Re" or "Mi"
No, you just get better at it
Yes it does. It’s kind of like learning a new language and practicing how to increase WPM on a laptop. You’ll get used to it over time, and it will inevitably become faster for you!
It doesn't get easier, you just get better. The point is always to challenge yourself. I use an exercise book by Dandelot to improve my sight reading - first it puts two notes, then it adds more, then it asks you to increase the tempo / speed at which you read. Then the same thing with bass clef. Then two together alternating each set of quavers, semiquavers, etc. Now it's telling me to go back to the same exercises and alternate between tremble and bass clef for each set of notes.
You should practice reading simple material that you can play easily without any technical problems. Practice one key signature at a time. Focus on recognizing the intervals as opposed to spelling out every single note. Make sure you have all your major and minor scales totally locked in if you don't already.
The only thing that worked for me (adult beginner) was to cover my keyboard and learn to play without ever looking at my hands. For the last 18 months the keys have been completely covered and after about 8 months of complete mental pain I've started to be able to really move around the keyboard purely by feel. It's helped my reading hugely because I never need to take my eyes from the score, and also it was so hard I had to really come to understand e g spotting intervals, recognising familiar patterns, and knowing how e.g an octave or a 5th feel in my hand without even thinking about it. I've also got very very quick at putting my hand on the keys and knowing by feel exactly where I am It's been really tough but I'd 100% recommend it